The Irish standard., 1887-11-26

following lines, which would seem to
Indicate that she, like the generality
OF singers, was first tempted to choose
other than religious subjects for her
songs, and, while some may regret
that she has not done SO, others will
rejoice, because Catholic poetry in
this country would certainly suffer
great loss if it was deprived Of the
many valuable contributions Our poet
ess has given it. Here are tlle lines re.
| ferred to:
| when first seized my youthful Tyre,
And s1note the golden strings thereof,
| The trembling chords were all ON fire
| With flames Of earthly love.
But brief the dream; it's aloe bloom
Lay With my Tyre on funeral shrine; .'..
And there, beside open tomb,
| sang Of love divine.
! Now, in my life's rich ripening,
The sparkling strings salute my hand
And earth and skies blend as / sing
Of God aud Fatherland.''
The miscellaneous poems Of Miss
Donnelly are many and beautiful
New ones are constantly appearing to
make it plain that her poetic gifts are
still with her, and her wondro us facil-
ity of rhyme and language unimpaired
Many of her poems are memorial ones,
and not few were written on the &C.
casion OF the death Of priests and nuns.
The Augustiaiap and Jesuit orders are
indebted to her for many meritorious
and touching verses of this nature,
while there is scarcely sisterhood of
nuns represented IN the country the
virtues of some OF whose departed
members she has not commemorated in
song. The latest notable production
was the ode sh" wrote for the recent
centennial celebration OF the adoption
of the American constitution, and
which appeared, i'll whole, Or in part,
in most of the Catholic papers at the
time. She is still in her prime, and
gives promise of much good work yet,
while all will unite in the hope that the
day may be long in coming when she
will sing no more to her hosts of ad--
mirers. AS illustrating one of the
many admirable phases of her charac-
ter, this sketch is concluded with the
following tribute paid her few years
ago in the Ave Maria, by Sara Trainer
Smith: Much OF Miss Donnelly's
time is spent at st. Joseph s, and she is
closely linked with the old church in
thoughts Of Philadelphia Catholics.
Indeed. one traces the influence of it's
charm in the outcome Of her talents.
No doubt it has deepened her poetic
nature, for it appeals to all the poetry
Of any nature. It is SO old, as years are
reckoned in the new world, that the
mighty present has pushed it out Of
sight; and one must search carefully for
it, and finds it down a narrow, dark
alley, beyond low, arched gateway,
and across square paved court yard,
where some trees whisper and sigh
softly in the quiet Of the place. Very
high buildings partly surround this
court On two sides; the dwelling house
of the Jesuit fathers forms the third,
and the fourth, opposite the gateway,
is the church. Except for its two long
windows, it has no churchly aspect. It
is of brick and gray stone, like the
house, and the entrance is through
low, square tower in an angle Of the
court, and over a stone sill worn hollow
with the tread of countless feet. There
are odd, foreign-looking old lamps or
lanterns affixed to the house, and be-
tween the windows of the church there
is a bust and tablet to the memory of
Father Barbeliu, likewise commemor-
ated by Miss Donnelly in several of
her sweetest poems. He was a sanity
French priest, who, for thirty years,
was gentle presence at st. Joseph's. T.
Within the church all is shadow
dimmed, aged, mellowed-peace. COM
fort and rest. The sanctuary lamp. &
slow swinging and trembling as it'll,
vibrates with the pulsing5 Of the busy
life sonear and yet so separat led, and f
burning its heart out night and day
before the Love it sYmb bolizes, seems a /:
very lodestar to the heavy hearted the Il
happy the aged, the active man of
business whom It draws forever '